A delicious recipe for Superfood Walnut Pesto, tossed with soba noodles & loaded up with healthy veggies- a flavorful nutritious lunch that is packable and can be made ahead!
Here’s a nutritious lunch idea to help make things easier during the busy work week- Superfood Walnut Pesto Noodles! I also know how easy it is to get stuck in a rut, having the same lunch on repeat for weeks on end. But a little change is good for the soul.
In fact, I think we crave it and need it. It wakes us up and helps us come alive! So here’s a little number to help wake up our palates as well- and it starts with the Superfood Walnut Pesto! YES!!!!
This is for all you gardeners out there who have plethora of baby power greens already perfect for harvesting! Spinach, baby chard, baby kale, arugula, watercress, baby mustard greens, even nettles!
This week I’ve partnered with California Walnuts (all opinions are my own) to create a nourishing mid-day meal that can be prepped-ahead and packed up for the busy workweek.
The addition of walnuts to the Superfood Pesto gives it added depth and flavor, along with an incredible richness that replaces the need for cheese. Plus walnuts are nutritious, heart-healthy1, contain no cholesterol, and are the only nut with a significant amount of plant-based omega-3 ALA (2.5 grams/ounce). A delicious way to incorporate more walnuts into our diet!
The base of this creamy vegan, Superfood Walnut Pesto of course, is walnuts! A full cup! Then goes in a garlic clove, a couple of tablespoons of miso paste – for a huge boost of umami flavor! A little sesame oil and any of your favorite power greens- baby kale, chard, arugula, nettles, or spinach. Add a squeeze of lemon and voila! A deeply flavorful, creamy, umami based “pesto” full of healthy power greens.
Today I’ve tossed this with soba noodles, but I know you’ll find a hundred other uses for this Superfood Walnut Pesto.
Trust me when I tell you you’ll want to lather this on everything. Add it to wraps and sandwiches for a burst of flavor and richness (without cheese). Swirl it into soups, top your avocado toast with it, or spoon it over your roasted veggies, or even over simple baked chicken!
You’ll find many uses!
But today we are tossing it with soba noodles.
Surround the Superfood Walnut Pesto Noodles with your favorite fresh seasonal veggies – here I’ve added shredded cabbage, watermelon radish, a handful of greens and a few crunchy walnuts and lunch is good to go!
Make a few for the busy workweek. Feel free to embellish with avocado, sprouts, shredded beets or carrots… you get the idea. Play around and have fun!
For more healthy lunch ideas be sure to visit here: 25 Healthy Delicious Lunches!
Or for more healthy vegan Bowls, visit 20 Plant-Based Buddha Bowls.
Have a great week.
xoxo
Print
Superfood Walnut Pesto Noodles
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: lunch, sauces, vegan
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Northwest
Description
A delicious recipe for Superfood Walnut Pesto, tossed with soba noodles & loaded up with healthy veggies- a flavorful nutritious lunch that is packable and can be made ahead! Vegan and GF adaptable!
Ingredients
Super Food Walnut Pesto Recipe: ( 4-6 servings)
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil ( or olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1–2 garlic cloves, start with one
- 1/4 cup water
- 3–4 cups baby superfood greens ( baby kale, arugula, spinach, chard)
- squeeze of lemon to taste
Bento Box: ( 2 servings )
- 4 ounces dry soba noodles ( sub GF noodles)
- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/4 cup sliced radishes
- 1 cup of power greens
- 1/8– 1/4 cup walnuts
- olive oil and lemon for drizzling
- optional additions: edamame, sunflower sprouts, avocado, snow peas
Instructions
Begin by getting your soba noodles cooking, cook according to directions.
Make the Superfood Walnut Pesto: Place walnuts, miso, oil, garlic and water into a food processor and pulse repeatedly. Add the power greens and pulse. Adjust consistency by adding more water if you like. Add a squeeze of lemon, pulse, and taste. Add more garlic, lemon or salt to taste. (The miso is satisfyingly salty so I didn’t add salt.)
Toss the noodles with ⅓-½ of the walnut pesto ( you will have enough walnut pesto for 4-6 servings).
Place noodles in a bento box with a handful of greens, shredded cabbage, walnuts and radishes. ( Feel free to add avocado, or other veggies) Drizzle veggies with a little olive oil, lemon and salt. Pack it up with a set of chopsticks and you are good to go.
Notes
Superfood Walnut Pesto keeps for 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 184
- Sugar: 0.8 g
- Sodium: 3.9 mg
- Fat: 17.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.2 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
1 Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based omega-3.
I just made this for my weekly lunches. I followed the recipe, but used half toasted sesame oil and half olive oil, and juiced an entire lemon (small) into it. I also added half a jalapeno pepper for some kick! For greens, I used arugula with a handful of parsley. It is delicious! I used it as a sauce for soba noodles, and added crispy tofu, and a mixed salad of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and purple cabbage. I am looking forward to lunch this week – and I still have leftover pesto to add to other things.
Great to hear Rosie!
Could I use red miso? That’s the only type I have.
Totally!
This was so flavorful! Love the addition of Miso .
Yay Joanne, Im so glad you enjoyed this!
Can this be made with basil instead of super greens?
Yes of course!
really enjoy all your recipes, thank you for all your wonderful efforts…
Thank you Sel!
This was great. Loved using all my stray greens in the fridge. The miso adds great flavor. Thanks for sharing!